Favorite Words

“What’s your favorite word?”

“Integer.”

A dull, number-crunching IRS agent’s favorite word would obviously be integer.

However, once Harold Crick had his revelation and began to, as numerous punk-rock songs urged him, “live his life,” maybe his favorite word changed to tubular or righteous. Or serendipitous, sublime, succulent.

I love the movie Stranger Than Fiction, but I digress. The original question still stands: What is your favorite word?

The words on my favorite list come and go, but here are some current ones:

rendezvous
feckless
souffle

Sometimes it’s not even the word itself, but more how someone says it. For instance, Audrey Hepburn somehow made every word she said sound distinguished. I think I still love souffle because of how she said it in Sabrina (1954). Better to slave over a souffle than move to Butte!

Audrey

I once heard Audrey Hepburn described as “the perfect woman.” I tend to agree. What didn’t she do?

-she danced
-she was an award-winning actress
-she sang
-her children speak well of their mother
-she was a humanitarian
-she was humbly beautiful
-she was both sweet and strong
-her speaking brought out the beauty in French and English alike
-she starred opposite  Hollywood’s great leading men of the era
-she was a style icon

Though it’s difficult to pick a favorite, I love the movie Charade (1963) [spoiler], in which she stars with the dashing Cary Grant. Of course Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Roman Holiday, The Nun’s Story, Wait Until Dark, The Children’s Hour, Paris When it Sizzles, My Fair Lady, and How to Steal a Million are all fabulous. I have yet to see others like War and Peace and Love in the Afternoon.

I could go on!

This poem is supposedly not, as was rumored, about Audrey Hepburn. But it could be:

Time Tested Beauty Tips 

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge you’ll never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; Never throw out anybody.

Remember, If you ever need a helping hand, you’ll find one at the end of your arm.

*Poem: Sam Levenson

Charade

"How do you shave in there?"